The Dove
by Warp
Summary: When Duo is a child on L2 he accidentally kills a dove. What does he do then, and how does the incident affect him later? One shot. Please R&R!


A moment in Duo's childhood and how it effects him later. One shot. Please R&R!  
  
Authors Notes: Okay, I got this idea, and it wouldn't leave me alone, so I wrote it. The first part takes place when Duo is a kid, probably really soon after he is taken into the orphanage. The second part takes place after Heero self-detonated, when Duo and Quatre were staying together. Please let me know what you think. Thanks!  
  
Warning: Kinda sad, I guess.   
  
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Gundam Wing. Someone else does and they have a lot more money than I do.  
  
The Dove   
  
He didn't mean to kill it. He hadn't known he could hit the ball that hard or that far. It was just some freak accident really. There were no wild animals on the colonies, just pets. It must have escaped its cage and flown away. Even at that moment some child could be running around the streets of L2 looking for their lost bird. They wouldn't know it was dead. They wouldn't ever know what happened to it.  
  
He sat over it, hunched and crying. Who knew that such a small boy could have such a strong swing?   
  
You must hit like a girl because you have hair like a girl! they had said and laughed.   
  
Then he'd grabbed the tip of his braid, that barely hung over his shoulder, and felt it. He had to prove them wrong. He wasn't a girl. He could hit the ball like a boy. And he did. He'd proven it. But now the little bird was dead, and the baseball was innocently nestled in the grass beside it.  
  
Duo had never seen a bird like this before. Not that he'd seen many birds at all, only the colorful ones in the pet shop. The bright yellow canaries and the red macaws. This bird was pure white, like starlight. Its wings were limp, its neck twisted at an odd angle and one glassy black eye was staring at him.   
  
He nudged it hopefully with one dirty finger. But it stayed just as still. Just as dead. He heard the other boys coming up from behind him, and he quickly wiped his eyes and nose on the black t-shirt he was wearing.  
  
Did you find the ball, runt? an older boy asked.  
  
Duo said trying to sound defiant. It's here. And he picked up the ball and threw it at them.  
  
I'm going back, he said and scooped up the dead bird.   
  
What have you got there? another boy asked.  
  
None of your business, Duo said and began to run back to the Maxwell church.  
  
Sister Helen! he yelled once he was inside. Sister Helen!  
  
A slightly harassed looking nun came down the aisle toward him. Duo, what is it?   
  
He held out the bird in his hands and forced himself not to cry. I killed it, Sister Helen.   
  
She nodded. Poor thing. Do you want a box, Duo? So you can bury it?  
  
The little boy nodded. Yeah, I wanna bury it.  
  
The nun hurried away and Duo took a seat on one of the pews. The church was empty for the most part, which was usual for that time of day. Only a few partisans were there, lighting candles and praying.   
  
Duo kicked his feet impatiently for a few minutes and then got up. He ran down the aisle to the candles. He carefully placed the bird on the floor and picked up a half-burned wooden stick. Then he lit one of the candles and whispered a small prayer. I killed the bird, and I'm sorry. But I don't need to be forgiven, just let the bird be peaceful forever.  
After he finished he ran back down the aisle and sat down again.   
  
Sister Helen appeared a few minutes later with a shoe box and an old towel. We can wrap it in this and put it in the box, she explained.  
  
I wanna do it, Duo said, by myself.  
  
She nodded and smiled kindly. Then go out to the yard and bring a garden shovel from the closet.  
  
I will, he said and ran out. He grabbed the shovel and went out into the yard, carefully balancing the bird, the box and towel and the shovel in his small hands.  
  
He wanted to bury the bird some place it would like, so he surveyed the yard for a moment. His blue eyes danced across the grass and flower beds until they landed on a small tree in the corner. It was a new tree. One of the only ones the churchyard had. But it was the perfect burial place for a bird, he reasoned, since they liked to fly.  
  
He slowly walked to the tree and sat next to it, dropping his load. First, he carefully wrapped the bird in the towel and placed it in the box. Then he dug a shallow hole at the base of the tree, just big enough for the box and deep enough to put a few inches of dirt over it. Finally, he placed the box in the ground and covered it with the rich black soil, patting it down to make sure it was packed tight.  
  
Duo wiped his dirty hands on his shirt. Then he knelt in front of the fresh grave and crossed himself.   
  
Dinner is almost ready, Duo. Are you done? Sister Helen called from the doorway.  
  
he said and ran toward her.  
  
Good, then go wash up. I don't want any dirty hands at the table.  
  
Duo just moaned and hurried into the washroom.   
  
X  
  
Years later, Duo was on Earth staring up at a clear blue sky. He was thinking about Heero again. The way he had killed himself to save the colonies, to save all of them. He and Quatre had already talked about it a lot, but he still thought about it at times.  
  
They were lounging by the pool in a lovely jungle hideout. It was nothing but the best when it came to Quatre. But Duo didn't mind. It was a far cry from his days on L2. They seemed like a life time ago.  
  
Quatre was sitting next to him with a pair of binoculars glued to his eyes and staring into the jungle.  
  
You see something, Quat? Duo asked as he glanced at his friend.  
  
No, just bird watching, he said and held up the book that had been in his lap.   
  
Didn't know you liked birds so much, Duo said and took the book.   
  
It's just a hobby. But birds are beautiful.  
  
Duo said and flipped though the book. He stopped when he came to a picture of a snowy white dove. So, you know a lot about birds then?  
  
Quatre shrugged modestly. Just a little.  
  
Aren't doves supposed to symbolize something? Duo asked as he looked at the picture.  
  
Quatre said and smiled, they symbolize peace. I've always wanted to see a real one. Have you?  
  
Duo said, 


End file.
